


The Road to Ruin

by galaxiialpha (orphan_account)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Animal Death, Bottom Rick, Canon-Typical Violence, Condoms, Crying, Dialogue Heavy, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Hand Jobs, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Not Ashamed, M/M, Nightmares, Not A Fix-It, Not Beta Read, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Plot Twists, Protective Daryl, Rickyl, Sexy Times, Sleepy Cuddles, Sorry Not Sorry, Tags May Change, This Is STUPID, Top Daryl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-02 22:12:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6584626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/galaxiialpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had everything he'd ever wanted after his divorce. He'd won custody over Carl, he found his perfect other half. They had a German Shepherd, something Lori would've never allowed but something he'd always wanted. What is he to do, how is he to feel, when it's all ripped away by the living dead? His finally perfect life, ripped to shreds. There's only one option he sees; protect the ones he loves, or die trying.</p><p>[The very OOC and AU Rickyl story that no one asked for. Rick and Daryl have been together for a year and a half before the apocalypse, and Rick won custody over Carl after previously divorcing Lori. Rick never gets shot, so he's there when everything falls. They also have a German Shepherd named Maxi. Daryl's really protective and Rick is terrified out of his pants. For now, anyway. Starts pre-season one, but it's really divergent.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Road to Ruin

**Author's Note:**

> Title is lyrics from Fall Out Boy's "Alone Together"  
> The ooc part is really just in these first few chapters, what with them being practically scared like babies. This is mostly because we didn't get to see Rick pre-apocalypse, but I did my best...the non-ooc part should come when we hit around mid-season one / early season two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Starts in modern AU, but only for like, half of the chapter. There is plenty of OOC material, but I'm hoping to fix that as I stated in the summary.]
> 
> "Though he tried not to, his eyes drifted over to the dried blood stain in the carpet. He shivered, the memory wasn't something he wanted to remember."

"Maxi, off of me!" Rick demanded playfully as their Shepherd covered him in slobbery kisses.

She only responded with a bark, her tail thumping against the side of the couch. Rick snickered before gently pushing the dog off of his chest. He ruffled her fur, smiling softly at her. Maxi yawned before curling up and laying down next to him. Rick heard Daryl's footsteps on the stairs before he saw his hunter.

"Hey," Rick greeted him, stroking Maxi's head.

Daryl smiled at the scene. "Did I miss somethin'?"

Rick chuckled. "Only Maxi trying to smother me with kisses."

The archer let out a small laugh at that. Rick stood up, brushing the dog fur off of his shirt before walking over to Daryl. A smile spread across his face before he kissed his hunter, resting his head on Daryl's shoulder. He always smelled of cigarettes and the outdoors. There was a tap on the door and Maxi barked, jumping off the couch and pawing at the door.

"Maxi! Quiet!" Rick said, pointing a finger at the couch.

The dog let out a small yip before jumping up onto the couch. She curled up again, but paid close attention to the doorway. Rick pulled the door open, and his breath caught in his throat. Standing in front of him was a rotting corpse. But it was _alive._ It let a growl out of its rotting mouth before it grabbed Rick's wrist. He shrieked, falling to the floor and trying to scramble backwards.

Maxi barked, emitting a loud growl as the thing tried to latch its teeth onto Rick. He kicked it, sweat already beading on his forehead. Daryl had ran over and was trying to yank the thing off of Rick. He managed to pull it off of his torso, but the thing was stubborn and clung to his ankle.

Daryl kept tugging at it, and Maxi jumped off the couch and tried to nip at it. Even with all the strength he had, he couldn't pull away from the corpse that was trying to rip his foot off.

"Get it off!" he cried, kicking its face over and over until it stopped moving.

The sheriff scrambled backwards and huddled in the corner of the room, staring as the blood soaked into the carpet. His chest heaved with every breath he took. Daryl kicked the thing outside and slammed the door, then hurried over to Rick.

"Are ya okay?" he asked, sitting down and taking his hand.

Rick nodded slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I think so...what the fuck _was_ that thing?"

"I have no idea. Jus'...was it tryin' ta eat ya or somethin'?"

Rick nodded again, more harshly. "Yeah, it was. It was..." he trailed off, and only then did he realize how tightly he was clinging to Daryl.

"That thing looked dead. How the fuck was it up an' around?" Daryl murmured, not really to anyone.

"The news!" Rick suddenly said, stumbling up to his feet. "We should check the news."

He fumbled for the remote, turning on the television. He flipped through the channels until he landed on the news channel. He backed up and sat next to Maxi, Daryl sitting on the opposite side of him.

_"There have been a few reports of people attacking and eating others. Advice is to keep your blinds shut and doors locked. Schools have been cancelled across the towns of; King County, Atlanta..."_

"Oh my god," Rick whispered, realizing his eyes were tearing up. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means this shit 's serious as it gets," Daryl said, pulling Rick close to him.

A strange sound made its way out of Rick's throat. It was a mix between a sob and a whimper. "What are we going to do?"

Daryl stroked his deputy's hair. "'M not sure yet. But, we'll be okay. Have ta be."

Rick nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. "For Carl, right?"

"Exactly." The hunter kissed Rick's hair.

With that, the deputy drifted into a restless sleep.

-

_They were everywhere, their teeth gnashing together as their hands attempted to beat down the door. Carl was huddled behind him, tiny whimpers escaping the young boy's mouth. Daryl was beside him, his face set with determination. Rick could swear he saw the tiniest tinge of fear in his hunter's eyes._

_Maxi barked loudly, her ears pinned to her cranium as she bared her teeth. Rick wanted to hush her up, but they couldn't risk any more noise. Instead, he stepped over and clamped the dog's mouth shut gently. She got the picture and stopped the noise, but she still growled quietly._

_The door rattled more and more with each pound from the walking corpses. The sound of shattering glass filled Rick's ears. A scream made its way out of Carl's throat as walkers flooded in through the windows. Rick took his Colt and shot the ones nearing his family._

_Another stumbled closer, and Rick didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. The gun clicked. Empty. His breath quickening the slightest bit, he took Carl in his grip and pulled Daryl back._

_"Up the stairs!" he insisted._

_Daryl nodded, and the trio stumbled up the stairs. Rick almost tripped over his feet a few times. They practically shoved each other into Rick and Daryl's room. Daryl slammed the door and locked it. Rick's eyes widened just as he heard the pained yelps._

_"Maxi!" Rick cried, slamming himself against the door._

_Daryl's hands wrapped around Rick's arms, pulling him back. "Shh, we have ta be quiet or else they're gonna come find them some dinner."_

_Rick collapsed into Daryl's hold. "B-but Maxi..."_

_There was no yelping downstairs anymore. Something inside Rick broke and he started to sob. "S-she was such a good girl..."_

_The door started to rattle, startling the sheriff so much he fell to the floor._

_"That ain't gonna hold for long," Daryl said, the fear finally finding its way into the archer's voice._

_The door burst open, and the walkers stumbled into the room, and Rick could see the fur caught in their teeth._

_Then, just like that, Daryl was pulled into the crowd of walkers. Rick could hear Daryl screaming his name and-_

_-_

"Rick! Rick!"

Rick's eyes popped open, his chest heaving. He was drenched in sweat, his eyes darting wildly. He willed himself to relax back into Daryl's lap, but his breath remained harsh and ragged. He still struggled to get his grip on reality.

"Are ya okay?" Daryl whispered, wiping the sweat off of his lover's forehead.

Rick couldn't answer, the sheer fear of everything crushing him. The silence was only there for a brief moment before Rick started to cry, burying his face in Daryl's shirt. The thoughts he was thinking were making him feel increasingly small. What if that was what was going to happen? What would happen if the cannibal freaks got out of control? What if he couldn't protect them?

The thoughts only made him cry harder, and he found it hard to breathe. Daryl started to rub circles on his back, calming him down the slightest bit. He cried until he had no tears left to cry, and his breath finally slowed into a calm, steady rhythm.

"Ya want ta talk 'bout it?" Daryl asked quietly.

Rick sighed shakily. "It was- those _things._ Th-they were everywhere, and they got in here. Maxi didn't make it, but we made it into the room upstairs...there were s-so many of them, and I-I just...I c-couldn't keep y-you f-from...from..." The tears welled up again, and he felt like crying once more.

"Hey," Daryl said, still rubbing circles on Rick's back. "Hey, look at me."

Rick willed his eyes to look up, and he stared into the hunter's eyes.

"'S gonna be okay, Rick. Ya ain't gotta worry, 'cause you, me, Carl, and Maxi are all gonna be jus' fine. Okay?" Daryl raised his eyebrows.

Rick nodded, sniffing a little. "Okay."

He sat up beside Daryl, rubbing his eyes. Daryl smiled gently at him before reaching behind him and grabbing the blanket they always had draped over the back of the couch. The hunter then wrapped the blanket around Rick, draping it over his shoulders. Rick offered him a small, almost-shy smile before kissing him.

"I love you," he said, smiling once more at his hunter.

"I love ya too, Rick. Ain't ya ever forget it," Daryl replied as Rick leaned against Daryl's shoulder again.

 Sleep overtook the both of them, and they slept in each other's embrace throughout the night.

-

Rick awoke to the smell of bacon. He stretched his stiff shoulders before sitting up, his eyes slow to adjust to the sunlight streaming through the windows. Running a hand over his face, Rick stood up, once again stretching before straying into the kitchen.

"Mornin', sleepyhead," Daryl said with a smirk, earning a laugh from Carl who was sitting in the dining room.

Rick responded with a grunt, ruffling Carl's hair slightly before taking a mug from the cupboard. Any thoughts of last night were hiding in the back of his mind. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip before placing the cup on the counter.

"I could've helped with this," Rick said, a small smile pulling the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Yeah, but ya were sleepin', and I ain't gonna interrupt yer beauty sleep," Daryl teased, placing a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Carl.

Rick chuckled at that. "Please," he smirked, flicking Daryl's head playfully.

"Hey, Dad?"

Rick turned to Carl, who was currently stuffing his face with eggs. "Yeah?"

"Since it's Saturday, you think we can go to the park today?" He fidgeted with his fork.

The memories of last night finally crashed into him, and he must've gone seriously pale, because Daryl's expression suddenly became worried.

"Rick? Are ya doin' alright?" Daryl asked, pulling Rick back to earth.

"Uh...I think it'd be better if we stayed home today, Carl," Rick said, fixing his expression so he didn't get Carl worried too.

"Aw, but why?" Carl asked, his expression quickly turning into a pout.

Rick fumbled for an excuse in his head. There wasn't any need to worry Carl. Not yet.

"'Cause 's supposed ta be rainin' later today," Daryl filled in for Rick, quickly making eye contact with the sheriff.

"Oh" was all the young boy said before focusing his attention back to his plate. Rick didn't hesitate to drag Daryl into the living room, didn't bother keeping the worry of of his face.

"We need a way to distract Carl," he said, his voice low and quick. "That way I can check the news and see what the fuck is going on."

"I'll go with 'im," Daryl answered, turning for the kitchen.

Rick grabbed his wrist. "Don't," he paused, "I need you here."

Truth be told, he was scared shitless. He wasn't going to be able to do this alone. Daryl gave him a nod.

"Why don't we put a movie on for him in his room," he suggested, "Give him something to do."

"I'll get 'im, ya jus' sit here an' wait a minute," Daryl told him.

Rick nodded, unease twisting his insides. Slowly, he sat back down on the couch, curling into the blanket from last night. Though he tried not to, his eyes drifted over to the dried blood stain in the carpet. He shivered, the memory wasn't something he wanted to remember.

Maxi gave a soft yip, shoving her nose into Rick's neck. Rick laughed, petting the dog's head before pushing her backwards a bit. She pawed at his thigh before laying her head on his lap. Rick focused on stroking the dog's fur. He let out a soft sigh before he noticed Daryl coming down the stairs.

"I put on a movie fer 'im, he should be okay up there," the hunter said, sitting down next to Rick.

Almost reluctantly, Rick flicked on the news. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the words 'emergency evacuation' spread across the screen in huge letters. The news reporter was talking about a refugee camp in Atlanta, with military protection and food and shelter.

"All in one night?" Rick murmured, his voice barely his own. "How's that possible?"

"I dunno...but why the fuck do we need ta get all the way ta Atlanta?" Daryl asked.

Rick shrugged, suddenly feeling very out of it. "I don't know."

Rick stood and walked over to the window, peering out of the blinds.

"Holy shit," he stammered, stumbling backwards.

"Rick? What's the matter?" the archer asked, worry filling his voice.

Rick could barely feel the breath pass through his throat. "They're all over the damn place!"

"C'mon, get Carl, Maxi, and yer Colt, we gotta get the fuck outta here," Daryl said.

"We can't go out there! We'll get ripped to shreds!" Panic surged inside of Rick's body.

Daryl put a hand on Rick's shoulder. "Not if we can get to the car fast enough, we can jus' drive past 'em," he said.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, you know where our suitcases are?"

"Upstairs in our closet," Daryl said. "I'll get Carl?"

He could barely believe he was doing this, but what choice did he have? He gave a small nod. It was either die when they ran out of food, or make a break for it. Rick sighed as he stepped up the stairs and into their bedroom. He felt the odd urge to almost say goodbye to his bed, as if he weren't going to sleep in one for a long, long time. He pulled open his closet, and the two suitcases they owned were shoved into the back.

He tugged both of them out. He opened one, and started jamming necessities in it; clothes, shoes, socks, some of Daryl's random arrows that he claimed to have 'lost' - when in reality their closet was a black hole. Once he had a few outfits in, just enough to last a few days, he went over to their bedside table with the intention of finding one of their family photos.

What he found, though, was something that made his cheeks and ears flare like wildfire. Almost smiling mischievously to himself, he stuffed the tiny packet into his pocket before continuing his search for the picture. Finally, he found it. He pulled it out of the drawer, smiling as his fingers brushed the tiny image.

It was a picture of their first vacation together. They'd taken Carl to a water-park, and the image was of Carl on Daryl's shoulders with Rick splashing water onto the both of them. He shoved the picture into the side of his jacket, then shut the drawer and zipped the suitcase. The other would be used for holding food and other necessities.

Rick rubbed his hands over his face before tugging the suitcases downstairs. Daryl and Carl were already there, with Carl's suitcase packed to the brim. Rick left his and Daryl's suitcase by the edge of the stairs before taking the other suitcase to the kitchen. Anything that didn't need to be refrigerated, he took. Crackers, canned items, cereal, and water bottles they had in the cupboard for emergencies.

Though, it wasn't really this kind of emergency they were expecting.

Once he finally packed all their food and toiletries, Rick zipped that suitcase up, too. He grabbed his holster and his Colt from where it hung by the door and strapped the holster on. He made sure Maxi's leash and harness were secure enough before he looked to Daryl for approval.

"'S go," Daryl said, nodding at the door.

Rick nodded in return, kneeling in front of Carl. "Whatever you do, stay close to Daryl, okay?"

"Yes, sir...Dad?" Carl looked up to his father.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Rick sighed. "Atlanta, to find some good guys. They're going to protect us, okay?"

A small nod from the brown-haired boy let him know he'd heard him. He let out a small breath, his muscles tensing as he placed his hand on the doorknob. He opened the door, and the utter stench of the things hit him so hard he gagged. Rick composed himself before taking Maxi's leash and one of the suitcases in his hands. Daryl took the other, and Carl tugged his.

Rick turned back, and his family stared at him expectantly. He let out another breath before jerking his head forward. The trio - four if you counted Maxi - made their way for the car. Rick barely got the trunk open, and they chucked their suitcases in. Daryl buckled Carl's seat-belt. Maxi let out a rough snarl, twisting and yanking against her harness.

"Maxi! Maxi, stop!" Rick commanded.

Maxi didn't listen, and instead yanked so hard that Rick went flying face-first into the driveway. The Shepherd charged straight for one of them, leaping onto it and burying her teeth into its neck. Daryl pulled Rick to his feet.

"Maxi, come!" Rick demanded, his voice laced with worry. Panic. It was almost like his nightmare.

Daryl tugged at Rick. "C'mon, we can't save her, them things 're everywhere!" he shouted.

"We can't just leave her!" Rick insisted, and if he could've stomped his feet, he would've.

The corpses began to surround the German Shepherd, and she continued to snap and snarl at their hungry fingers. Then came the yelps, the blood, the squelching. Rick wanted to scream, to smash every single one of those bastard's heads in. But he didn't, instead he just turned away with teary eyes and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Dad, what about Maxi?" Carl asked as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Jus'...Maxi's in a better place, m'kay?" Daryl said sadly.

"D-did the monsters get her?" Carl asked through tears.

"Yeah, yeah they did. There wasn't nothin' we could do to save her."

Rick stomped his foot down on the gas peddle, eager to get the fuck out of the mess they'd found themselves in. He ignored the tears burning in his eyes, and headed straight for Atlanta, Georgia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who can guess what the 'packet' was? ;)
> 
> And, I feel like I can't stress this enough, I'll try my best not to make the whole friggen' story OOC. >~>


End file.
